Letter

Mayor's 'we' lacks top officials What is the function of a municipal governing body? Is it not to work together with us citizens to make decisions that would be in the best interest of the people in our community? I recently returned from vacation to find out about a letter that Haddon Township Mayor William J. Park Jr. had sent to Green Valley Tennis Club on Crystal Lake Avenue. In it, he sugested that its property be purchased by the city. "We have had the property appraised and are prepared to offer $525,000," said the letter.

I HAVE an idea. So, schools have no money and it seems that a big problem is the pension program. As it pertains to teacher salaries: I see why they would demand so much in pensions - they are paid very little, especially considering how important they are. Crappy teachers = crappy students = crappy future. And I think the low pay is causing a talent void. What if, instead of high pensions (which become harder to calculate future inflation, wages, etc.), we significantly raised the pay of teachers and signifcantly reduced their pension?

Dogs work in humans' interest With all the indifference and negative publicity attending the incarcerated, the New Leash on Life program brings out the back story, and thus the humanity, of each of the inmates involved. Oddly, there's more human interest by adding the dogs - the idea that two lives are being saved. As trustee chairman of the Philadelphia Prison System, I have struggled for more than six years with its intractable problems. Most news about the prisons is bad and, try as I might to evangelize the good, it's one step forward and many, many back.

AS A truck driver for the past 25 years on I-95, no wonder there's major traffic jams everyday. Eighty percent or more, there's only one person driving in the car or van. Stop the complaining - take SEPTA! May I add, I'm paid by the hour. Raymond Capati Philadelphia The city-working poor In regards to Keith Barger's letter regarding city workers earning less than poverty level: I was a city police officer severely injured in the line of duty and put on pension in July of 1970, at a yearly amount of $7,000.

CHRISTINE Flowers has long been an advocate for the unborn. For all the common ground that so-called pro-choice and pro-life advocates found in the case of the Gosnell house of horrors, it took a historic jury verdict to make everyone face facts. As Ms. Flowers correctly states in her column "This jury saw the truth," this was a case of infanticide. The only defense that Gosnell had was that the abortion-inducing drug did not properly kill those babies while they were still in utero.

LAST Friday's column by Christine Flowers raises huge issues, but in effect boils down to one question: Should a married couple stay married for the sake of the children? As a seasoned, veteran family/divorce attorney for many years (I am no longer in private practice), I have tried divorce cases, domestic-violence cases and custody cases, representing husbands and wives equally. And, for the sake of full disclosure, I have been through a divorce and custody trial personally. There is an old adage among attorneys that criminal-defense attorneys see the worst people at their best and divorce attorneys see the best people at their worst.

I AM TIRED of hearing legislators crying "no new taxes. " Why? What's wrong about tax increases? Would you rather have new and more efficient roads and bridges, or no new taxes? Would you rather have a new and more efficient infrastructure, or no new taxes? Would you rather have a functioning and more efficient school system, or no new taxes? I could go on and on, but these are just a few serious problems that need to be addressed now. If these can't happen unless taxes are raised, then I say raise the taxes.